1874 Arkansas Constitution, Page 41 |
Previous | 42 of 46 | Next |
|
small (250x250 max)
medium (500x500 max)
Large
Extra Large
large ( > 500x500)
Full Resolution
|
Loading content ...
W. D. Leiper Delegate from Dallas County
Wm. J. Thompson Delegate from Woodruff County
James A. Gibson Delegate from Arkansas County
Henry W. Carter Delegate from Pike County
Daniel F. Reinhardt Delegate from Prairie County
Elijah Moseley Delegate from Ouachita County
Stephen C. Bates Delegate from Polk County
G. P. Smoote Delegate from Columbia County
D. L. Killgore Delegate from Columbia County
William S. Hanna Delegate from Conway County
John S. Anderson Delegate from Craighead County
J. G. Frierson Delegate from Cross County
E. Foster Brown Delegate from Clayton County
Jas. P. Stanley Delegate from Drew County
John Niven Delegate from Dorsey County
William W. Mansfield Delegate from the County of Franklin
John Dunaway Delegate from the County of Faulkner
Davidson D. Cunningham Delegate from the County of Grant
Ben. H. Crowly Delegate from the County of Greene
H. M. Rector Delegate from Garland County
Jno. R. Eakin Delegate from Hempstead County
W. C. Kelly Delegate from Hot Spring County
J. W. Butler Delegate from Independence County
James Rutherford Delegate from Independence County
Ransom Gulley Delegate from Izard County
Franklin Doswell Delegate from Jackson County
Jno. A. Williams Delegate from Jefferson County
Seth J. Howell Delegate from Johnson County
Philip K. Lester Delegate from Lawrence County
J. H. Williams Delegate from Little River County
J. P. Eagle Delegate from Lonoke County
Reason G. Puntney Delegate from Lincoln County
Monroe Anderson Delegate from Lee County
John Carroll Delegate from Madison County
S. P. Hughes Delegate from Monroe County
Nicholas W. Cable Delegate from Montgomery County
Charles Bowen Delegate from Mississippi County
R. K. Garland Delegate from Nevada County
Henry G. Bunn Delegate from Ouachita County
W. H. Blackwell Delegate from Perry County
Jno. J. Horner Delegate from Phillips County
Jno. R. Homer Scott Delegate from the County of Pope
John Miller, Jr. Delegate from the County of Randolph
Sidney M. Barnes Delegate from the County of Pulaski
Jabez M. Smith Delegate from Saline County
Ben. B. Chism Delegate from the County of Sarber
J. W. Sorrels Delegate from Scott County
W. S. Lindsey Delegate from Searcy County
R. P. Pulliam Delegate from Sebastian County
W. M. Fishback Delegate from Sebastian County
B. H. Kinsworthy Delagate from Sevier County
Lewis Williams Delegate from Sharp County
John M. Parrott Delegate from Saint Francis County
Walter J. Cagle Delegate from Stone County
Horatio G. P. Williams Delegate from Union County
Robt. Goodwin Delegate from Union County
A. R. Witt Delegate from Van Buren County
R. P. Polk Delegate from Phillips County
T. W. Thomason Delegate from Washington County
Object Description
| Title | 1874 Arkansas Constitution |
| Date Original | 1874 Oct 13 |
| Creator | Arkansas Constitutional Convention |
| Historical Note |
Following adoption of the 1868 Constitution, the Republican government under Governor Powell Clayton took power. Republicans generated enormous state debt on construction projects. Criticism arose over new laws empowering former slaves and women while disfranchising former Confederates. Conservatives formed secret organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan to intimidate Republican voters. Governor Clayton called out the militia to suppress Klan activities, but Republicans could not bring an end to the violence. Internal divisions further impacted the Republicans’ control.
Conservatives accused Republicans of political corruption, and the Conservatives’ power grew. The 1872 election proved to be a political nightmare for the Republicans. Governor Powell Clayton moved to the U.S. Senate in 1871, and by the time of the election of 1872, the Arkansas Republicans split into two factions. Elisha Baxter led one faction, known as the Minstrels. The other group, called the Brindletails, supported Joseph Brooks. Voter fraud and intimidation ran rampant at the election, but after two months of certifying results, the state election commission declared Baxter the winner. Brooks challenged the vote, but Baxter took office in January of 1873. Baxter attempted to reconcile the Republicans and Conservatives, and as a result, began to lose support within his Republican party. Alternatively, during the campaign Brooks promised to restore voting rights and give amnesty to former Confederates, but later somewhat altered his thinking on the issue. As a result, Baxter’s supporters turned to Brooks, and Brooks’ supporters aligned with Baxter. Brooks won a court decision and along with a group of armed men, physically removed Baxter from the State House on April 15, 1874. Fighting erupted on the streets of Little Rock with both men claiming the governorship. The incident and resulting skirmishing became known as the Brooks-Baxter War. Finally, after several weeks’ delay, President Ulysses S. Grant gave Baxter his support and asked Brooks’ men to disband. Baxter returned to the State House, and in May 1874, the legislature called for a June 30 election to decide whether to hold a constitutional convention. A landslide victory in favor of drafting a new constitution paved the way for the formation of a new Arkansas government. The Constitutional Convention assembled at the State House on July 14, 1874. Republicans who had supported Elisha Baxter and Conservative Democrats joined together in efforts to positively change laws implemented with the 1868 Constitution. Grandison Royston of Hempstead County was elected chairman of the convention, and was the only delegate who had also been a member of the 1836 convention. In his acceptance speech, Royston called for a constitution providing for a government under which “the people shall be the source of power.” After two months of deliberations, the new constitution was completed. The voters of Arkansas ratified the document in an October 13, 1874, election. The 1874 Constitution attempted to limit the power of state government. New laws restricted what government could do. Some refer to the document as the “Thou shalt not” constitution because many provisions are written in the negative. In financial matters for example, “Neither the State nor any city, county, town, or other municipality in this State shall ever loan its credit for any purpose whatever.” The constitution gave Arkansas citizens more control over public officials by reducing terms from four years to two and increasing the number of officials subject to election. Substantially weakened by many of the provisions, the governor’s office became largely an honorary position until the twentieth century. The new constitution also tried to curtail corruption, largely in reaction to Reconstruction-era spending. The huge debt incurred in the years after the Civil War made financial issues extremely important. Salaries of state officials were fixed and had to be approved by the General Assembly. The number of offices was reduced to improve efficiency and reduce costs. And, taxes became more uniform throughout the state. Enactment of the 1874 Constitution marked the end of Reconstruction in Arkansas. The document still governs the state today. |
| Description | The fifth and current Constitution of the State of Arkansas, framed and adopted by the convention which assembled at Little Rock, July 14th, 1874, and ratified by the people of the state, at the election held Oct. 13th, 1874. |
| Physical Description | 46 handwritten pages: 24" x 17 1/2" |
| Subjects |
Constitutions; Constitutional conventions; State government; |
| Related Resources | Arkansas Constitutions finding aid: http://www.ark-ives.com/documenting/manuscripts/fulldetail.aspx?id=702 |
| Geographical Area | Arkansas |
| Language | English |
| Local Identifier | MG.00295 |
| Digital Resource | Document |
| Digital Collection | Arkansas Constitutions Collection |
| Contributors | Royston, Grandison D. 1809-1889; Newton, Thomas Willoughby 1843-1908; McQueen, Rodgers, Alexander 1824-1886; Patterson, Horace Huntington 1819-1901; Baily, William Wilson 1827-1907; Hampton, John R. 1807-1880; Cypert, John William Jr. 1826-1899; Bunch, Bradley 1818-1894; Ross, Jesse Arendall 1838 -1913; Thomason, Hugh French 1826-1893; Leiper, William D. 1828 -1917; Thompson, William J. 1835-1901; Gibson, James A. 1837-1907; Carter, Henry William 1826-1906; Reinhardt, Daniel Fornely 1821-1888; Moseley, Elijah 1812-1880; Bates, Stephen Christopher 1825-1913; Smoote, George P. 1829-1891; Killgore, Dawson Lee 1823-1893; Hanna, William S. 1831-1899; Anderson, John S. 1818-1892; Frierson, James Gordon 1835-1884; Brown, Ephraim Foster 1844-1927; Stanley, James Phillips 1834-; Niven, John 1821-1887; Mansfield, William Washington 1830-1912; Dunaway, John 1842-1915; Cunningham, Davidson D. 1813-1877; Crowly, Benjamin Harrison 1836-1913; Rector, Henry Massie 1816-1885; Eakin, John R. 1822-1885; Kelly, William C. 1823-1877; Rutherford, James 1825-1914; Gulley, Ransom 1840-1921; Doswell, Franklin 1830-1891; Williams, John A. 1835-; Howell, Seth Jones 1810-; Lester, Philip K. 1819-1877; Williams, James Harrison 1813-1892; Eagle, James P. 1837-1904; Puntney, Reason Gamble 1812-1894; Anderson, Monroe 1839-1882; Carroll, John C. 1838-1912; Hughes, Simon Pollard 1831-1906; Cable, Nicholas W. 1816-1901; Clay, Charles 1814-1907; Garland, Rufus K. 1830-1886; Bunn, Henry Gaston 1838-1908; Blackwell, William Henry 1826-1900; Horner, John J. 1833-1905; Scott, John Rice Homer 1813-1905; Miller, John, Jr. 1836 - ; Barnes, Sidney M. 1847-; Smith, Jabez Mitchell 1826-1888; Chism, Benjamin Boone 1845-1924; Sorrels, James Warren 1843-1913; Lindsey, William Shook 1825-1900; Pulliam, Richard P. 1814-1885; Fishback, William M. 1831-1903; Kinsworthy, Burton H. 1828-1877; Williams, Lewis 1816-1877; Parrott, John M. 1814-1896; Cagle, Walter Jacob 1827- 1918; Williams, Horatio Gates Perry 1827-; Goodwin, Robert 1812-1883; Witt, Allen Rufus 1830-1903; Polk, Robert P. Jr. 1847- ; Thomason, Tilford Wright 1834 -1910; Walker, Benjamin F. 1820-1906; Lake, Milton Frank 1819-1895; Cypert, Jesse Newton 1823-1913; House, Joseph Warren 1847-1926; Harrison, Joseph T. 1827-1910; Hawkins, Marcus Lafayett 1833-1906; Lucas, Edwin Ruthvin 1835-1914; Johnson, Benjamin Whitfield 1835-1907; Joyner, Roderick 1833-; |
| Publisher | Arkansas State Archives |
| Preferred Citation | 1874 Arkansas Constitution, Arkansas Constitutions Collection, Arkansas State Archives, Little Rock, Arkansas. |
| Rights and Usage | Public Domain |
Description
| Title | 1874 Arkansas Constitution, Page 41 |
| Transcription |
W. D. Leiper Delegate from Dallas County Wm. J. Thompson Delegate from Woodruff County James A. Gibson Delegate from Arkansas County Henry W. Carter Delegate from Pike County Daniel F. Reinhardt Delegate from Prairie County Elijah Moseley Delegate from Ouachita County Stephen C. Bates Delegate from Polk County G. P. Smoote Delegate from Columbia County D. L. Killgore Delegate from Columbia County William S. Hanna Delegate from Conway County John S. Anderson Delegate from Craighead County J. G. Frierson Delegate from Cross County E. Foster Brown Delegate from Clayton County Jas. P. Stanley Delegate from Drew County John Niven Delegate from Dorsey County William W. Mansfield Delegate from the County of Franklin John Dunaway Delegate from the County of Faulkner Davidson D. Cunningham Delegate from the County of Grant Ben. H. Crowly Delegate from the County of Greene H. M. Rector Delegate from Garland County Jno. R. Eakin Delegate from Hempstead County W. C. Kelly Delegate from Hot Spring County J. W. Butler Delegate from Independence County James Rutherford Delegate from Independence County Ransom Gulley Delegate from Izard County Franklin Doswell Delegate from Jackson County Jno. A. Williams Delegate from Jefferson County Seth J. Howell Delegate from Johnson County Philip K. Lester Delegate from Lawrence County J. H. Williams Delegate from Little River County J. P. Eagle Delegate from Lonoke County Reason G. Puntney Delegate from Lincoln County Monroe Anderson Delegate from Lee County John Carroll Delegate from Madison County S. P. Hughes Delegate from Monroe County Nicholas W. Cable Delegate from Montgomery County Charles Bowen Delegate from Mississippi County R. K. Garland Delegate from Nevada County Henry G. Bunn Delegate from Ouachita County W. H. Blackwell Delegate from Perry County Jno. J. Horner Delegate from Phillips County Jno. R. Homer Scott Delegate from the County of Pope John Miller, Jr. Delegate from the County of Randolph Sidney M. Barnes Delegate from the County of Pulaski Jabez M. Smith Delegate from Saline County Ben. B. Chism Delegate from the County of Sarber J. W. Sorrels Delegate from Scott County W. S. Lindsey Delegate from Searcy County R. P. Pulliam Delegate from Sebastian County W. M. Fishback Delegate from Sebastian County B. H. Kinsworthy Delagate from Sevier County Lewis Williams Delegate from Sharp County John M. Parrott Delegate from Saint Francis County Walter J. Cagle Delegate from Stone County Horatio G. P. Williams Delegate from Union County Robt. Goodwin Delegate from Union County A. R. Witt Delegate from Van Buren County R. P. Polk Delegate from Phillips County T. W. Thomason Delegate from Washington County |
